City Police Commissioner C. Sylendra Babu on Monday switched on the 38th automatic traffic signal in the city on Avanashi Road. The signal is located close to the Information Technology Park. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) N. Kamini was also present at the inauguration ceremony.
The traffic signal installed near the Coimbatore Medical College is a state-of-the-art signal matching international standards. It is synchronised with the signals at Masakkalipalayam Road Junction on Avanashi Road and at the Airport Junction. The synchronisation will help in eliminating the need for the motorist to wait at each signal.
A motorist getting a green signal at Masakkalipalayam Road junction can go non stop and cross the Airport Road junction signal and vice-versa, provided the motorists moves at the stipulated average speed limit and travels without stopping.
Inaugurating the signal, Mr. Sylendra Babu said that the traffic signals on Avanashi Road from Airport Junction till JM Bakery Junction will henceforth work round-the-clock. Already the Anna Statue signal on Avanashi Road and Gandhipuram signal are working 24 hours. A decision to make the traffic signals on the entire stretch of Avanashi Road functional round-the-clock was taken considering the volume of traffic on this stretch, especially at night.
The city police are also studying the traffic pattern and the vehicular density at important junctions across the city to more install traffic signals.
Traffic flow and density on the Mettuppalayam Road – Sanganur Road junction are being studied for installing an automatic traffic signal after the road widening and strengthening works are completed on the stretch.
Similarly, signals would come up at the Karumbukkadai Junction on the Ukkadam – Pollachi/Palakkad Road, Avanashi Road - G Kuppusamy Naidu Memorial Hospital Junction and at the exit gate of Kovai Medical Center Hospitals on Avanashi Road. The City Police have already modernised the signals replacing the ordinary signals with LED signals. Installing a new signal costs anywhere between Rs. 2.5 lakh to Rs. 4 lakh, sources said.
The work is executed with the help of private sponsors who pay the licence fee for advertisements and pay the electricity bill as well for a stipulated period as per the permission granted to them, police sources said. The upcoming median on Tiruchi Road is expected to help in reducing accidents and in streamlining the flow of traffic and Mr.Babu added that four high mast lights are also coming up to enhance visibility at night on this stretch.
